Diaper Saves Toddler in Fatal Florida Car Accident

by Carmen Dellutri on November 18, 2011

In an amazing story that we had to share, a 3-year-old child recently floated to safety after a fatal Florida car accident sent a vehicle plunging into a murky lake. Police believe Sariyah Michel's diaper was so buoyant, it propelled her out of the submerged car.

"All of a sudden, this little thing popped up like a cork," Deputy Cazi Navarro told the Sun Sentinel.

Navarro rescued the toddler shortly after pulling her mother, Catherine Copeland, to safety. The child’s parents were allegedly fighting when the accident occurred; the child’s father, Sandro Michael, 27, drowned in the submerged car.

Police first responded to reports of a couple fighting at a gas station. Witnesses recall seeing Copeland driving the car while Michel hit her, causing the car to swerve and land in the lake, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

Navarro arrived on the scene shortly afterward and heard Copeland's cries for help.

"She was screaming, 'I don't know how to swim!'" Navarro said.

Police searched for the missing toddler and soon spotted her bobbing toward the surface of the 40-foot-deep lake.

"At that point the baby was kind of lifeless, her arms were dangling, no responsiveness, no consciousness," Deputy Michael Francis said.

Sariyah was reportedly taken to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, where she was listed in critical but stable condition. She was later released.

Clearly, the little girl was very lucky to survive this unfortunate accident. For more information about how to survive a Florida car accident involving a submerged car, check out our previous blog post available here.

The Dellutri Law Group is focused on making bad situations better and putting lives back together. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Florida car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.